Open Fresh Mind

My Random Thoughts

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Dishonest Government, Incompetent Opposition

The successive governments in India are in the habits of beating the drums before the bugle of election is heard. This is quite true for all the political parties that have tasted the blood of power. Be it a general election, or for state assembly or municipality, the party in power exaggerates its past performance with gusto. All previous governments had not left any opportunity of speaking loudly about its make-belief accomplishments, at the cost of government coffers. The NDA at the centre, SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh, Lalu in Bihar, Left in West Bengal and Kerala, TDP in Andhra, in fact it's all and one speak in the same voice, when in power . The present UPA led by Congress are no pushovers, rather they are the ones who taught the other parties how to be dishonest while at the helm of power.

Of late, it has come to notice from Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that the present government is inactively sitting on a whopping Rs.78000 crore of unutilised foreign assistance and paying commitment charges to the amount of Rs.125 crore to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for not using the sanctioned amount. Another report from CAG discloses that over Rs. 51,000 crore allocated by the Central Government for Bharat Nirman and other schemes remained overstated. This is the truth of the government who, notwithstanding, incessantly applaud its achievements. This is not an end to it. There are numerous other areas where one can easily point their fingers on and seek explanations from the government.

Around 90 days have passed after the mayhem took place in Mumbai on 26/11. No conspicuous action on this has been felt, except that our Foreign Minister keeps telling the media that action taken by the Govt. of Pakistan is not enough. But never ever has he said what action the government of India would be taking. How long shall the people of India wait for its government to act? Isn't it so that the people look foolish when the main party in power, Congress, leers to claim that it would bring terror as subject while campaigning during the forthcoming election? Apart from this, the country has recently witnessed a worst ever financial crisis, barring the Chandrashekhar government, and the insipid market looks at the government like a crow parched with thirst for survival. However, the government seemed to be indifferent while presenting the interim budget as let bygones be bygones, forgetting that the country anticipated relaxation on taxation, reducing excise duty, promoting entrepreneurs to revive the economy of the country. The recent job-cuts during the last six months is one area where the whole country is amazingly keeping mum.The companies are laying off workers and personnel with sagacity in order to save their skins. No new appointments are forthcoming. Though the recession was diagnosed six months from now, nothing substantial from the administration is noticed. The future is not only alarming but it remains cold and dull.

The opposition parties are as unhealthy as the parties in power. No one dares to speak the truth. The truth does not mean digging out the fallouts of the rivals. Herein the truth illustrates about the real problems of the people and the country, and what measures or plans they have with them to counter those realities. The government never comes out honestly with any discrepency of its administration, they rather prefer to deceive the people. The crust is that no political parties at present seem honest to divulge in the roots where the shoe pinches. Unfortunately, this is our fait accompli.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

What a Bother?

Two weeks ago before school ended, pre exam tests were in full flow. On such a day I was taking my Maths test. Right then the intercom beeped up, and a voice came out to ask me to be sent down to the office. I received a shock of life. What had I done?Previously I had never been called down to the office for anything that I had done. And nor could I remember anything I had done which was so bad for which I was to be called down to the office.When I was called inside, I walked in with a trembling heart. Well the matter couldn't have been funnier. The Principal had called me down for a Facebook group I had made. All that was wrong in it was that the group concerned our school, but didn't even have its name on it. Well, I could somehow manage to speak myself out of this trouble without any consequences.However, I gave quite a bit of thought to it about how much it was feasible for the school to monitor even our Facebook groups. I mean, come on, it's a social group. What do you expect? I just felt that the school shouldn't really get into each and every thing of the student without any real purpose. It was a right down bother, and nothing at all except that. The school, after all, doesn't have anything to do with this.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Not Altogether Brilliant

Throughout the year we wait for the school to finish and the summer holidays to begin. This is all very good when one stay on at a single school for a while. However, it does not seem the same when you leave your friends forever, and you know that you might never meet them again.For the last two years, I came home from school jubilant after the school ended and the summer holidays started. When I did join after the holidays I saw that many students had gone, and some new faces had arrived. I had not felt the least perturbed by that. It was natural enough for me. But this year I felt a bit sad while leaving. I knew that I would not be able to meet my friends again next year. Those whom I knew through all these three years I knew I might stay in touch, but I was more worried about the friends I have made this year. I do hope that I will be able to keep in touch with them.A decade ago, it had been more difficult to keep in contact with friends after moving away, but now it is much easier. Social groups like Orkut, Facebook, and many others are accessible and it is easier to keep in touch with friends.The summer holidays have begun, and it is indeed a good feeling but it is slightly marred by the fact that I am leaving my friends behind with whom I don't know when I will meet again. It is a good feeling but not altogether brilliant. The end of school is not always a thing to be rejoiced about, but rather it is a source of misery and sadness sometimes.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A Typical Point

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series seems like it's without a fault, but sometimes some things come up which can be seen as totally to be things to take the plot further. For instance, two horcruxes were kept so safely which were the ring and the locket, but the others were just about thrown around. The cup in Gringotts was definitely an easy one, as also were the diadem. I mean, come on, can it be that there would be no curse on that diadem, a piece of Voldermort's soul. How can that be possible? Also in the locket's safety, Dumbledore elaborates that Voldermort might have wanted to keep a way back inside the cave. But why would he? Even if he does go there and even wades into the lake, full of the dead, even then they can't kill him, because he has his horcruxes. And he could use fire. These things could have been better in the books, especially as Rowling expanded the book so much as to continue it over seven books. After that there is no scope for lightness in the book from such a powerful character.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Horcruxes

Lo and Behold! There's something wrong in the Harry Potter series. Isn't that just shocking? J.K. Rowling had explained everything by the end of her series. Just about everything. But she missed out on one thing. She explained from the Prince's Tale to the whole Dumbledore and Grindelwald story, and summed up the story spectacularly. However, she did miss something. I am just surprised that she didn't see it.Well the thing is that Voldemort was shown to have 7 horcruxes, which was emphasized throughout the book. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all counting by that. But what J.K. Rowling failed to mention was that there were actually 8 horcruxes. Yes, 8. I can show that to you.

Well isn't that shocking? And Voldemort's soul was said to be the seventh horcrux, so it is one of them and not outside it. So there are eight horcruxes even though J.K. Rowling said seven.Well that is a thing she should have been careful about. I think she overdid herself by cramming in all these horcruxes, making even Harry one, and failed to count the hrocruxes properly. Now, what have you got to say on that?

Friday, April 25, 2008

New Softwares

Google has fast become the best search engine on the internet. Though sometimes its credentials have been questioned, most have regarded it as the best one there is.Google has launched some extremely good products which are too alluring to resist. Other than its Google Talk, Picasa, and Orkut, Google also has a notebook service on the internet. I found it fascinating. Not only does it help to save things while working on the internet, without fear that you will lose your data if you change your computer, but it also helps you to save passwords and other things on it while on the internet, and can be accessed later on at any time. But the best thing is not this, but we can also share the notebooks with others. Well that's cool stuff right there.Google Docs and Spreadsheets with the additional Powerpoint are too good to be true for users of the internet. Anyone can save and do anything now once they are on the internet. This is like the coolest thing that can happen, though something new will surely come up which might be just better than this.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Harry Potter

When I was reading the Harry Potter series, I came across many things. My attention was first caught when I saw that all the characters' names had a purpose in characterizing the character as well. For example, the first thing I noticed was that Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, was named Sirius and he was an animagus who turned into a dog, because there is actually a star name Sirius which is also called the Dog Star. Similarly, Lupin's name came from the word Lupine. Also Dolores Umbridge's first name came from the word dolorous which means to cause pain, which indeed coincides with her nature perfectly.These were some of the things which awed me while reading the Harry Potter series. It was stunning that J.K. Rowling puts so much thought in even naming her characters and characterizing them.